The Poet & the Musician
by GravityNeko
Summary: AU. (Strawberry Series)Teenage Kiyoshi and Usagi meet the members of a band called Snowflake (kids of their own age)and display some of their own talents as well. (Bio added) (COMPLETED)
1. Meeting

**Disclaimer: Gravity nor Gravitation belongs to me. I owe these two to the great minds of Maki Murakami and S.G. Hill.

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Chapter One

Ryuko Sakuma made her way into the park, followed by her cousin Slacker and several other members of Snowflake. She hummed to herself, hugging Kumagoro to her. "Remind me what we're doing her." Sara-chan asked. "Just walking!" Ryuko answered and swung the stuffed bunny around in a circle. "Right…" Himeko-chan muttered to herself. The brown-haired girl stopped. Slacker bumped into her. "Ooof!" He steadied himself for a second, tugging on the halter on his guide dog Katsugan. "Ryu-chan, what is it?" "Do you here that, Slacker?" He frowned and tilted his head. "Sound like….a keyboard?" "I agree!" Saki said with a nod. She'd played the damn thing enough to know when one was being played. "Sounds pretty good!" Ryuko grinned. "Let's go check it out!" She raced ahead. "Ryuko, wait!" Hime-chan growled. "Let's just go after her…" Saki sighed, tucking the bottle of booze under her coat.

Sara sighed and ran after Saki, stopped and looked back at Ryuko's cousin. "Slacker?" He smiled. "Go ahead. Katsugan and I will be along in a while." She nodded and headed to where the rest of her band mates had disappeared.

Ryuko came within distance of where the music was coming from, crouching down and hiding behind a bush, chewing on Kumagoro's ear. A girl with black hair, about their age stood, tinkling away, playing an amazing tune if Ryuko said so herself. She tilted her head. That wasn't just any song! It was a Nittle Grasper song. She frowned trying to figure out which one. "It's Sleepless Beauty, I think." Slacker said coming up beside her, Katsugan sniffing at the dead leaves on the ground. "She's amazing!" Saki slurred. "Saki!" Ryuko turned around red-faced. "You've been drinking!" "Does it show, baby!" She wrapped her arms around the other girl. "And it's SAKE." "EH! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CALL YOURSELF! JUST LET ME GO!" The blonde smiled drunkenly. "Great…" Himeka murmured shaking her head. This started an ongoing scuffle between Ryuko and Saki (or should we say Sake). "You're so gorgeous!" "Saki! Cut it out!" The bushes started to shake, alerting the girl playing the keyboard to their presence.

"Who's there!"

Ryuko cursed. "See! We've spotted!"

Slacker shrugged his shoulders, "Then why don't we introduce ourselves."

"Great idea!" Sara agreed, nodding her head. "Let's go you two!"

Himeka followed the other's leaving poor Ryuko at Sake's mercy. "Help! Get back here you guys! Eck! Himeka! Sara-chan! SLACKER!"

Himeka looked at the girl who they were approaching. Her hair was raven. Really raven, unlike hers that had been dyed. It was kind of straight and reached down waist. She stopped playing the keyboard and looked up at the new comers, smiling. "Oh, hi!" She folded her hands at her waist Her golden-amber eyes were full of warmth.. "How do you do?" Ryuko moved to talk as soon as she got free of 'Sake' but… "Who disturbs the great, Matsunaga-san?" A low young male voice intoned. Sara moved her head, craning it around to be what she hadn't seen. It was a young boy. He was lying across the bench near the keyboard. He looked to be writing something. The girl rolled her eyes. Who's that? Ryuko thought. "Don't mind him. That's just my annoying little brother." "I said, silence, mortal!" The boy got up, towering over all of them on the bench. "You have disturbed the God of Haiku and now you must pay the penalty!" He began to laugh insanely. "And to think…He's usually so quiet…" The girl muttered under her breath, though Ryuko could clearly hear.

"You have disturbed!" his voice became more serious and less stupid sounding.

The girl picked up her back pack a flung it at her young brother! "SHUT UP, KIYOSHI!"

It hit him dead-on and he fell back off the bench and landed into the bushes behind him.

She grinned…. "Sorry about that!"

Ryuko, "That's all right. Didn't bother us one bit! Did it guys?" She looked to her band mates.

"Quite all right!" Slacker agreed, his dog beginning to sniff at the girl's school uniform.

It was white and had a blue skirt, a red bow and blue sailor collar along with blue cuffs at the sleeves. "What high school do you go to?" Ryuko asked. The girl looked at her outfit. They looked to be the same age. "Ejihaan High." "Hmmm." "Oh! How rude of me!" She bowed to Ryuko. "I'm Usagi Uesugi! I'm very pleased to meet you!" Her golden-amber eyes glittered as she said this. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Ryuko Sakuma and these are my…" But the poor girl never got through the sentence. "Uh-oh…" The boy named Kiyoshi sporting the same eyes and hair said, coming out from the bushes. "Uh-oh?" Sara-chan parroted. "Uh-oh." He looked towards his sister, who looked as if she was a full piñata about to explode. "SAKUMA! DID YOU SAY SAKUMA?" She fluttered high on angel's wings, dress now in a red kimono and waving a fan. "AS IN RYUICHI "THE GOD" SAKUMA?" "There she goes…" Kiyoshi slumped on the bench, shaking his head. "Is this bad?" Saki asked. "Does it LOOK bad?" The boy retorted tightly. "OH MY! I HEARD HE HAD A KID! ARE YOU HER? I ABSO-FREAKIN"-LUTELY LOVE NITTLE GRASPER!" "Oy…" Kiyoshi shook his head and took something of his back pack. It looked to be a gun at first glance, but Sara immediately noticed it as a rubber dart shooter. "Die, vile being!" He fired the first dart at his elder sister's forehead. "Return to the cursed lands which you come from!" He fired another, which stopped the crazed girl in her tracks. Usagi fell against the grass, lying there quietly.

He lowered the dart gun with a serious expression on his face. "Please excuse her. She was dropped on her head when she was an infant. Hasn't been right since."

"Oh, what would you know, you twerp!" Usagi got up glaring at her brother. "Little brother…Must DIE!"

"You're the one acting like the idiot! Why must I die?"

She was turning scary.

"I was just trying to write my haiku, but you're noisy… As usual!"

She rolled her eyes. "WHATEVER!" She turned to smile at her new friends. "I'm sorry for acting like a spaz…" Usagi took Ryuko's hand. "It's just that… Nittle Grasper's my ultimate favorite band..." She sighed. "Which…mind you…" Kiyoshi spoke up. "Hasn't been around since, what sixteen years ago?" He was such wet-blanket. Not to mention a pain in the ass! "It's not their fault!" "Yeah, due to the fact that the vocalist croaked…" He continued to write. She gritted her teeth. Pain in the ass indeed! "My beloved Ryuichi was killed in a terrible car accident, you little jerk!" She put a hand dramatically over her heart. "Whatever." Kiyoshi lifted his head from his writing and wrinkled his nose. "He's still dead. What's dead cannot be brought back to life…" Ryuko listened in amazement. She was a bit insulted that this little asshole was speaking so of her biological father. "You're such a little jerk, Kiyoshi!" Usagi ground out. "For a prodigy you're sure not so smart sometimes!" She stalked towards him. "You're so DEAD!" He saw this, eyes widening he ran off. Usagi held up a finger. "Just a sec kay?"

Ryuko and the rest of the crew nodded and watched as the girl, Usagi chased her annoying, insulting little brother all over the park for a good while. "What's with that you suppose?" Saki asked. "That little raven brat's an ass, that's what?" Ryuko's was slightly ticked. "I thought you didn't care…" Sara-chan began. "I don't hate Ryuichi. So I can't stand him being talked about like that!" Steam came out of her ears. "Who does that brat think he is?" Usagi came back up to her new friends and smiled. "Sorry, about that." She shook her head. "For twins…." Sara, "Twins?" "That's right! Twins!." She looked after where her brother had disappeared. "But we're nothing alike. And I guess that's how it should be. But he doesn't have to be a jerk! You'd think we'd be closer, seeing as how we're twins!" Her eyes became sad. "He just doesn't understand my love for Nittle Grasper…" She sniffed real tears back. "I mourn every day Ryuichi Sakuma died." She wiped her eyes. "Sorry. I know I go a bit over the top." She smiled. "So you're his daughter?" "Yeah." "And it must be SO cool to be raised by two famous people? Shuichi Shindou and Eiri Yuki!

"I've read everyone one of his books you know!" Her eyes sparkled. "They're SO awesome!"

Ryuko nodded. "He's my Papa, and I agree!"

"WOW!"

"I go to all his signings!"

"ME TOO!"

"Kinship!" They hugged each other.

"Tell your Papa to keep up the good work okay! From a fan!"

"How lovely?" Himeka murmured. "She's found someone whose fanatic as she is. Wonderful."

Usagi tugged a Ryuko's hands. "Come to my house, Ryu-chan!" She grinned from ear to ear. "I want to show you my collection!" Ryuko grinned back. "You bet!" "Sounds fun!" Kumagoro said for the first time. "Sure does, Kuma-chan!" "Oh, how cute! My elder sister has a Kumagoro just like that one!" She patted the bunny's head." "Really?" "Yeah, it was given to my okaa-san as a present before she was born (my elder sister, that is)." "How cool!" "Yeah…" "Ahem!" This came from Himeka. "Oh!" She laughed. "How careless of me! Usagi, wasn't it?" Nods. "Usagi, these are my friends and band mates?" "You're in a band!" "Yes." "How cool is that!" "…my band mates, Sara Fujisaki…" Sara-chan curtsied. "Himeka Nakano." Hime-chan nodded curtly. "Saki Ukai." "The daughter of Noriko Ukai!" "That's right..." Saki replied. "SO COOL!" "And the guy with the Labrador is my cousin Setsuna Seguchi. Or as he is more popularly known…Slacker." "COOL!" "Pleasure." Slacker murmured. "You're Snowflake!" "Oh! You've heard of us! I didn't think anybody had!" Ryuko exclaimed. "If you're Slacker…" She pointed to the blonde. "You must be the only son of Tohma Seguchi!" "That's right." She got excited again.

"Now, you MUST totally come to my house!"

"Well… I don't know…Micheal…."

"Puhhhlease!" Usagi begged, getting down on her knees, becoming a puppy dog, taking on BIG golden eyes. She whimpered. "Pleaze!" Inu-Usagi whimpered still, hoping to break down Ryuko's resistance.

She looked at her band member's, thinking about it for awhile.

"PLEASE!" Inu-Usagi tugged on Ryuko's skirt.

"Well…" She twisted her skirt in her hands. "I guess it would hurt for a little bit…"

"Hopefully, Michael won't kill us…." Himeka muttered, folding her arms.

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**A/N: NO comment other than…Please review and hope you liked it!**


	2. Knowing

**Chapter Two**

Usagi approached the huge house, Ryuko following her. "Wow! Even Papa doesn't have anything like this." "Oh, yeah? What's your Papa do?" The raven-haired girl asked over her shoulder, climbing the steps to her house. "He's a novelist. I thought you knew that." "Oh, right!" She slapped her heel against her forehead. "Stupid Usagi." She opened the door. "Please come in." She swung the door open, the case of her keyboard strapped across her back. "Tou-san! Okaa-san!" she called. "I guess they're not here. Oh, well, it's better that way!" She urged her new friends into the room. "Got anything to drink around here?" Saki asked. "I think some whiskey's in the liquor cabinet." "SCORE!" She ran to said cabinet. "But it's locked." Saki cursed and began to jiggle the door. "Sorry." "I can get it open! I know I can!" "Without breaking it?" "Anyone got a crowbar?" "That would entail breaking it…" Usagi said, dully. "Sorry, Saki. Guess you don't get any booze." "NOOOOO!" She jiggled it again. "There's gotta be some way to open it!" She leaned over to whisper in Ryuko's ear. "Is she gonna be okay?" "I hope so." She started up the stairs. "Hopefully she won't break it…" "Yeah," The raven haired girl gulped. "Hopefully."

The rest of the crew followed her up the stairs. "My room is at the top of the stairs, first door on the right."

"C'mon guys!" Ryuko hailed, Slacker, Sara, and Himeka followed her.

Usagi followed them, leaving Saki to her own devices. As she approached her room she caught the faint sound of traditional Japanese music. Kiyoshi was home. He'd beaten her home after she had chased him off. The long haired raven girl put a hand up to her door knob and opened it, awarding her new friends entrance into her room. "Come in, and make yourself at home." The group made their way inside and sat at various places around her room. Slacker took the spot at the head of her bed, which she didn't mind. He was very cute. Usagi blushed at this thought. The dog, Katsugan lay at his feet. "It was nice of you to invite us here," Ryuko commented, looking at her friends. "No problem." She immediately began setting up her keyboard. Sara gasped, her eyes cast up ward at the two posters that spanned the wall. One was of her father, Suguru Fujisaki, the other of Slacker's father, Tohma Seguchi! Usagi noticed this and peered upward with a smile gracing her lips. "Ah yes!" She grinned, plugging the instrument in. "My ultimate inspirations ever since I was old enough to play!"

"Really?"

"Nittle Grasper was always my favorite band, so of course, I held Tohma Seguchi highly. And Bad Luck was a great band as well!"

_Was?_ Ryuko thought. _Why is she talking in past tense? _

"Suguru Fujisaki's always was a teen prodigy. So I've looked up to him as well." She smiled at the group. "You're fathers are great men." Usagi directed this statement towards Slacker and Sara. "Thank you." They both answered. She nodded and fetched a music book off the high shelf, next to a familiar stuffed bunny. Ryuko's eyes went wide. "See! Told you I had one similar. Sis didn't take it along with her, so it was passed down to me." "What did they do?" Himeka spoke up. "Mass market those things?" "I guess." She left the stuffed bunny on the shelf and set up the music book, flipping through the pages. "Ready?" "Sure! Can you sing too?" Ryuko asked. Usagi began to play skillfully, her fingers flying over the keys as she played Sleepless Beauty. "_Tooku de me o hikarasete mezameru monotachi matte iru Yoru no jouheki sasowarete utsurisumu mure no nukegara ni…." _Ryuko listened calmly until a door burst open out in the hallway and Usagi's door was thrown open, a cursed expression gracing her brother's face. "STOP!" Usagi stopped singing and stopped playing, staring wide-eyed and opened mouth at her brother's rude interruption. It should have been no surprise though! For a quiet lad, he was quite loud and rude for such a small person.

"KIYOSHI!" she shouted back. "Don't you know how to knock?" She slammed her fingers against the keys.

"Don't you know how to sing?" He scoffed. "No, of course not. You can't sing at all! So why don't you spare our eardrums and quit your yowling, Bunny-girl."

An affectionate nickname.

"Stupid little brat…" she muttered, grinding her teeth. She loved him, but her little brother was getting on her nerves!

Ryuko and her crew watched the scene unfold.

"Then come and sing and end your torment."

"I refuse!" He became serious and not so awful. "To sing is not my duty in this family. This," He held up a paper with his haiku on it. "Is my duty. You as well as I know this, Usagi." His voice was low. "Well, then…" She snatched the paper from his hand. "You won't mind if I apply it to a song then would you?" "NO!" Her young brother lunged forward. "It's not finished! It's not to be tampered with!" He snatched it back and held it to his chest. "Haiku's are not songs! They are art, Usagi! You as well as I know that!" She rolled her eyes. "Roll them all you like, but I will become a famous haiku author!" She didn't doubt him. "You see this?" He showed them all a sign that hung on his door. _Genius at Work._ It said. "No disturbances." Usagi rolled them again. "Are you really that good?" Himeka asked, putting a cheek in her palm. "YES!" "Instead of staying in your room like a tortoise in its shell, stay here and write it here. We use to do it all the time. Remember?" Ryuko watched this exchange. "So, you play the keyboard and your brother writes poetry?" Slacker asked. "Yeah. It's pretty cool." She watched him sit himself down on the far side of the room as if to hide himself from the rest of the world. "We use to be so closer though…" She smiled sadly. "I feel like we've grown apart." Sighs. "Not only that, I've seen it."

Saki finally entered the room, with a whiskey bottle in her hand. The effects of the other booze making her walk funny.

"Your 'rents have goooood stuffffff…." She slurred, sinking down next to Ryuko.

"Thanks, I guess." She started to play again but Kiyoshi shot her a look.

She sighed. "We have to come up with a compromise. This IS my room."

"How about you agree not to sing, and I won't say anything for as long as your friends are here?"

"Hmmmm."

"Going once, going twice.."

"All right! You've got a deal!"

Ryuko held Kumagoro tight. "So…how long have you been playing the keyboard?" Usagi tinkled on her keyboard, turning her head to smile at her new friend. "Since I was…." She bit her lip then turned her eyes on her brother. "Say, Kiyoshi?" "What?" "What was that year where you lost your pet rabbit?" "Hige-san?" He bit his own lip and tucked his chin to his chest Trying hide his tears Usagi suspected. "Six years ago." "Oh, that's right!" Ryuko perked up. "I learned to play when I was ten." She caressed the keys. "And I've loved it ever since." She tilted her head up and looked at the posters of Seguchi and Fujisaki. "Make me sparkle!" Ryuko drew a breath in. Ryuichi Sakuma had said a similar thing. Something about being "all sparkly" when he sang. Did this girl know how to sparkle like Ryuichi did? "How old are you?" Ryuko asked. "Sixteen." "So am I!" "I figured you would be. Your birthday?" "June 28th. You?" "December 25th." "Wow! Really?" "Yeah…If I'd been 7 more days over due I would have been a New Year's baby." She kept playing as she said this. "That's neat!" said Kuma-chan. "Yeah, isn't it?" The black clothed lump on the other side of the room actually moved. "This is complete lunacy…." Usagi whipped around fire in her eyes. "The only lunacy is in your own head. So shut up, Kyo!"

Her younger brother snorted. "And they wonder why I'm known as the smarter twin….."

She rolled her eyes. "Ignore the lump." She began to play once more. "He just doesn't share my vision!"

Usagi surreptitiously cast a glance over to Slacker Seguchi, blind he might be, but the boy looked GOOD. She licked her lips. "Slacker!" "Yes." "What instrument do you play in Snowflake?" She continued tapping on the keys, this time switching to another song they hadn't even heard of. "Drums." She grinned. "Really? That's cool. I love a guy who can play drums against all adversity." _Real smooth, Usagi. Why don't you come out and say BLIND GUYS TURN ME ON? _Which was partially true. Something about Slacker not being able to see, enticed her. Was she sick? No, Usagi didn't think so. She kept her eyes on the blonde boy as she played. She was desperately trying to impress him with her skills. "And you basically take care of the band, right?" "Oh please…" Came a groan. "If you're going to hit on the guy, just hit on him! Stop beating around the bush!" "Quiet, rat!" She hissed turning red at the same time. "Or I'll toss you out on your ear?" "Will you?" He got up dusting off his black jeans. "Do that and I'll tell tou-san you tweaked his newest creation." "You're blackmailing me!" He smirked. "You know for a gentle thing you're manipulative and a little creep…" "It pays to be." "What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes. "Besides your silence?" He looked down at his paper. "My chores done for a month." "A MONTH! That's highway robbery! I refuse!"

"I think I hear the sound of paper shredding…"

"Fine, you little rat. I'll do it!"

"Very well then…" He started to slink out of the room.

"Not so fast!"

He stopped. "In return you've got to do me a favor!"

"On what grounds!"

Usagi bent over and pulled something out from under her bed. It looked to be an award trophy; a very broken one. "Where'd you find that?" "You're not very good at hiding the evidence, little brother." Kiyoshi frowned and Ryuko watched this mad game of blackmail. She'd never had siblings so she wouldn't know how it went. It was interesting though. Slacker calmly listened to this. "What'll it be?" Kiyoshi asked, narrowing his own eyes. "Sing _Sleepless Beauty_." "No dice…" "Hmm, Okaa-san would be terribly hurt if he found out you broke his first award trophy." She tapped her foot in thought. "The band was just making it big." "I will not defer." He started out of the room, moving like a panther all in black. "You have no choice…" She began to play the unfamiliar song again. "What's that?" "You like it? It's my own piece." Usagi grinned. She loved it when people complimented her on her work. She wasn't totally music incompetent! "Cool." Ryuko listened further and Slacker began to tap his foot. The raven-haired girl noticed this. She kicked it up a notch, playing with extra flair, playing to impress and astound Slacker Seguchi! Her hips swayed and her eyes glimmered, her haring swaying as she danced while she played.

_Look for the exit_

_See the fate before you_

_Take hold of my hand and don't_

_Let it go_

_Come, you beautiful dreamer_

_Open up your eyes_

_The world is a shiny dancing place_

_Dancing on the edge of dreams_

_Dance for me, angel_

_Dance for me, love_

_Please take me away_

_So that we may dance eternally _

_Reach for the shining horizon_

_Until you can reach no more_

_Hold me gently_

_Your kiss I ache for _

_Balanced upon the rainbow of fate_

_I look into my future_

_With you by my side _

_I have no fear, there's no need_

_To run away_

Usagi was actually very good at writing songs, but her voice was less than great. "UH!" Kiyoshi burst in. "Enough! In the name of all that is lyrical! STOP!"

"Thought that would get you in here."

"Actually the song was pretty good," Sara commented. "I agree." Himeka added. "For an amateur you've got talent…"

"Thanks…"

Kiyoshi huffed, looking sexy in his tight black leans and black shirt which was open down to the waist, his hair disheveled. "What do I need to do?"

The group raised their eyebrows in speculation.

Usagi grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

TBC

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**A/N: Oh, about Ryuichi being dead...Um that's not MY story that's another person's story called Gravity.**


	3. Sparkling

**Chapter Three**

Ryuko followed the girl downstairs along with the rest, Saki slightly stumbling as they reached the living room, Kiyoshi looking reluctant and obstinate. "Are you ready to buy my silence, Kiyoshi Uesugi?" He glared at his sister through his black bangs. "I'm only doing this because you're a brat. And you won't leave me alone unless I do this!" He pulled a large frown. "How am I supposed to get you looking like Ryuichi Sakuma if you make that face?" Usagi asked, frustrated. Ryuko's eyes widened. _Look like Ryu-What? _She watched as Usagi walked over to the far side of the livings room and reached up to pull down on a string hanging next to the wall. The wall scroll unfolded, revealing her biological father himself in all his glory. Ryuichi stood in tight jeans and a white ruffled shirt, a microphone raised to his lips with eyes closed, singing his heart out. To Usagi Uesugi he looked like a god. She was practically drooling just looking at it. Kiyoshi rolled his eyes. "There she goes again…" He dragged a hand through his hair. "Hey, Nittle Grasper Nitwit!" He picked up drink coaster and chucked it at her. "You're not alone!"

"OW!" His elder sister gripped the back of her head and turned face him with violent eyes. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, TWERP?"

"Go ogle Ryuichi some other time!"

"Little brat…"

"If I'm such a brat, why could you possibly want me to sing?"

She gave him evil eyes.

"I'll ignore that, twerp." She approached her brother, then looked back to the wall scroll holding Ryuichi's hot visage. "Hmmm..." She bit her lip. "What's she doing?" Himeka murmured with an arched eyebrow. "I don't know." Kuma-chan spoke up. Usagi reached down to where her brother kept his shirt tucked into his waist. He started. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kiyoshi looked freaked out. "Well, if you're going to sing like Sakuma-san, you sure as hell are going to look like him!" She began to grab again. "Back off!" He barked. "I DID NOT agree to this lunacy!" He back away. Saki half choked on the whiskey at this hilarious scene. The kid was totally spazing out! "But you have to!" "I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING OF THE SORT!" Kiyoshi was huffing. "I offered to sing. Not to look like a played-out playboy." "Blasphemer!" Usagi shouted. "You have maligned the name of the great Ryu-chan!" He rolled his eyes, dragging a hand through his hair again. "Not this…"

"Hark! Is that the sobbing of a broken-hearted legend I hear?" She put a hand up to he ear, laying on the blackmail thick. "No! Not even for that will I degrade myself…." He started to walk away. "Forget it!" The raven-haired girl pouted. Her grip was starting to slip. She needed something more. Something monumental… That's when it caught her eye. Ryuko noticed the delish look in the dissed girl's eye. The paper was hanging out of her brother's pack, a big red circle on it. Red could only mean one thing! A bad grade. Usagi grinned evilly. Now she had him! "Ah ha!" She picked it up pinching it between her fingers. "What do we have here?" Kiyoshi froze in his spot on the stairs, turning his head slightly. "Eh?" Sara leaned in, wondering what was going on in the girl's mind. "What's this?" "Huh?" The handsome youth pivoted the rest of the way around. "Oh-no!" "Oh, yes!" She flashed the bad grade to the rest of the crew.

A big fat D was plastered over the front of the paper.

"What's this?" She repeated. "The prodigious one slipping?"

"Give me that!"

"Oh I don't think so, little brother…."

"This isn't funny, Usagi! Give it to me now!"

"Oh, I will. In time." She held it to her lips. "That is…if we can reach an agreement…."

"What sort of agreement?"

"I want Ryuichi." Her tone was a serious one.

"The guy's dead."

"Then I'll take the next best thing."

"I refuse to dress like him!"

Snowflake listened to this back and forth banter for quite awhile.

It wasn't till long, that the two finally reached an agreement. Kiyoshi agreed to sing 'Sleepless Beauty' WITH the brown cowboy hat on. While Usagi promised to never pester her brother again about Ryuichi Sakuma. "Don't ever say I never do anything for you…" He muttered, turning on the professional microphone that sat in the corner of the living room, where another keyboard stood. "This piece requires two keyboardists, Ukai-san, would you take that one. I'll go get the other one up in my room." "Don't take too long!" Kiyoshi hollered up, looking annoyed. "My patience is waning." "Your patience is always waning, you spoiled brat!" She shouted, running up the stairs. He frowned, looking towards Saki Ukai. Ryuko looked at her band mate. "Are you sure you can play, Saki?" "I'll be fine!" She stared at the keyboard bleary-eyed and started to tinkle on the keys. Ryuko listened. The older girl faltered a bit.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, Ryu-baby!" She laughed. "Sake is solid!"

"Oh no…" Kuma-chan groaned.

Usagi came back barreling down the stairs with her extra keyboard across her back and a brown felt cowboy hat in the other. She was all excited. The girl started setting up the extra keyboard on the other side of the small stage, setting up and plugging in the instrument. "This is gonna be SO cool!" She chattered. "That's what she says…" Kiyoshi muttered, covering his face his hand, his ruby ring flashing. "Oh! How pretty!" Sara-chan commented, taking a look at it. He turned his hand and looked at it. "I suppose it is." Ryuko grabbed his hand and examined it. It was a large gold band situated on his right hand with an exquisitely cut ruby in the center of it. "Pretty!" She breathed. "Kuma-chan, take a look at this." She thrust the bunny over her shoulder. "Very pretty. "Kuma-chan agreed. Kiyoshi actually blushed, looking into Ryuko's dazzling green eyes. "Thanks..." "All ready!" Saki announced. "I can't believe I'm actually going to do this…." "Oh, hush up, Kyo!" She plopped the felt hat on his head roughly.

"I thought I said, I didn't want to look like Ryuichi…"

"Oh hush!" She muttered, walking up to one of the keyboards. "You're lucky I didn't make you do it all the way."

He scoffed. "Lucky she says…" He tipped the hat forward over his golden eyes.

"Quiet, twerp…"

She tapped on her own keyboard, making lovely sounds come from it. Saki Ukai added her own talents to Usagi's. The raven haired girl smiled, overjoyed to be joined with such people. "This is so dumb…" Usagi gritted her teeth. "You sound like tou-san. Cut it out!" "Hurry it up. Sake cannot wait!" Said Sake swayed and then collapsed, in a fit of laughter. "She's not fit to play." Kiyoshi announced, watching the drunken young woman. "Seguchi!" Slacker turned toward him. "Yes?" "I want you on keyboards in place of Ukai-san." His tone was authorative. "Hmm. Please do it, Slacker?" Ryuko asked. His eyes got hearts in them. He took her hand. "For you, Ryu-chan. Anything!" Slacker made his way to the keyboard Saki had been situated at and began readying himself. Usagi took her place at the other keyboard, taking over Noriko Ukai's part. She'd braided her long hair into one thick braid that was tossed over her left shoulder. For just a tiny moment, she felt as if Nittle Grasper had come back again. Slacker Seguchi looked the very image of his father Tohma, what with that black hat sat back on his head.

"What I lack is father's flair for style." He chuckled.

Had he just made a joke?

"It doesn't matter. This'll be fun!"

"If you say so…"

The rest of Snowflake stood back and watched. "Sakuma-san, you as well." Kiyoshi spoke up again.

"Me?" Ryuko's eyes widened slightly.

"Compared to my sister you probably sound better…"

"I take it you want me to sing Noriko Ukai's part…" Ryu-chan didn't like Nittle Grasper in the least, but she strangely knew the songs.

Suddenly, music started up from the button Usagi had pushed on her synthesizer. It was Nittle Grasper's Sleepless Beauty:

Kiyoshi took hold of the microphone in one hand, tapping his foot, playing extremely up to Ryuichi as he could. He moved sleekly, pivoted gracefully, keeping in beat with the song. His voice was clear as crystal, he sang with his whole soul as well as his voice and lungs. Ryuko's voice mixed with his on Noriko-san's part. Saki drunkenly watched this performance and turned her eyes to the wall scroll of Sakuma-san. Hmmm, not a bad resemblance if he were cosplaying… The black hair sweat over his forehead, shielding his sharp golden eyes, said eyes lighting with energy as he belted out another verse.

_umarekawareru anata yo hitori  
hohoemanaide hitomi o irodoru  
nozonda sekai ga totsuzen  
hai ni natte mo kiseki ni mada, meguriaeru _

_sotto dakishimete, kowasu you ni _

Ryuko from her point of view, extra microphone in hand, watched the young man named Kiyoshi Uesugi sing. She'd heard Ryuichi Sakuma's voice and his was pretty close to it. How bizarre! His moves were all his own, from what she'd seen on Daddy's old video tapes, he didn't move like Sakuma-san did. His elder sister was also watching him, eyes lighting with pride and excitement. She was thinking the name thing Ryuko was. He sounded like Ryuichi "The God" Sakuma so much! The first time she'd heard him absently singing along to a Nittle Grasper song she would have sworn Ryuichi had been reborn. Reborn in the body of her one and only little brother Kiyoshi. Such great talent!

That talent was unfortunately going to be wasted. Her brother refused her insistence that he take a singing career into mind. She frowned and played on. He had said something about music being for losers that couldn't make it in the real world. The more she thought about this the angrier she became, her playing became erratic. Slacker Seguchi immediately noticed this. So did the rest of the crew, for Kyo stopped singing and Slacker stopped playing; they were all looking agape at Usagi. "Ummm, sorry…" she spoke softly.

Claps followed her apology.

"Bravo!" Everyone turned to see, a blonde haired amethyst eyed young woman standing in the doorway, behind her a man with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. "Now, that's a rendition of that song I've NEVER heard." She was grinning from ear to ear. Usagi stiffened slightly. "Oh, hi onë-san!" She bowed to the elder woman. "Onë-san?" Saki slurred. "Hai! This is my elder sister, Ichigo." The woman nodded back. "And the cretin behind me is…" "Cretin?" The man murmured, sounding insulted. "Is Sho Nakano." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Nakano?" Himeka murmured. "Would you prefer bum?" "Iie…That's not even accurate, Shindou!" "Shindou?" Ryuko frowned, knowing her daddy's last name was Shindou. This was becoming weirder and weirder. "What have I told you about calling me that?" "Absolutely nothing…" Nakano grinned slyly. "Smart ass." The older woman muttered back to which the guy just grinned at.

She swatted him on the back of the head, as if as a second thought.

"ITIE!"

"Serves you right…"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Please forgive them. They left there manners in grammar school…."

**THE END**


	4. Being Helpful Biographies

**A/N: Okay here are some biographies!

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**

**Double Trouble**

Name: Usagi Uesugi/Kiyoshi Uesugi

Age: 16

Sex: Female/Male

Eye Color: Amber

Hair Color: Black

Marital Status: Single

Parent(s): Eiri (Yuki) Uesugi (tou-san) and Shuichi Shindou (okaa-san) Uncle

Sibling(s): Ichigo Uesugi-Asai

Uncle(s): Tatsuha Uesugi, Tohma Seguchi

Aunt(s): Shindou and Mika Seguchi

Cousin: Kari Seguchi

Pet(s): None

Favorite Color: Purple/Black

Favorite Food: Wacdonald's Burgers

Favorite Music: J-rock/Classic Japanese

Books: Manga/Haiku poetry

Best at: The keyboard/writing

Likes: Nittle Grasper Ryuichi Sakuma/Solitude

Dislikes: Icy people (her brother)/Bad singing (okay he hates it)

Quote: "My darling Ryuichi!"/"Tortured cat!"

**Bio: Usagi Kiyoshi are the twin children of Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindou. They are the youngest siblings and are exactly sixteen years apart (yikes!) from their older sister, Ichigo Uesugi-Asai (who is married to Seiya Asai (claps) yay!). Both children are extremely talented. Kyo takes after his father while Usagi her mother.

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**

**A/N: Okay! I see many people have been wondering about the story, your all confused. I'll explain. Each sets of characters (Usagi. Kiyoshi, Ichigo, and Sho are mine) are second generation of Gravitation childeren. Ryuko Sakuma is Ryuichi biological daughter but (and acts just like her father at times), but it now Yuki Shuichi's child by default due to the fact in my friend's fan fiction (Gravity) our beloved Ryu-chan died in a car accident, so Shuichi got custody of her. Himeka Nakno in the daughter of Hirosh Nakano in my friends AU, she's plays violin but has a guitar as well. In a sense Himeka and Ryuko share the same relationship that Hiro Shuichi do (or my OCs Sho Ichigo). Sara Fujisaki is Sugur's baby girl by his wife Umi (yeah he finally found someone!). Setsuna (Slacker) Seguchi is (you guessed it) Tohma Mika's child who is sadly blind. He has an younger/older (not sure at the moment) named Mei. He and Ryuko are cousin's by the face that Yuki Shuichi are a family and married lol. Their has been some vast speculation on how much Slacker cares for Ryuko but well that's not my story to tell. lol Well did that help?**

**In the words of Porky Pig...that's all folks!**


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